Lynne Featherstone

I was interested to see a documentary recently which looked into the charges that leaseholders pay. The program seemed spot on in terms of the sort of issues that leaseholders have raised with me in the past.

Leaseholders have to pay for work in advance – edict of Labour run Haringey Council – even though Haringey Council itself doesn’t pay for the work it funds until after the work is done. Clearly sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander.

Moreover – the bills come in very very high – and leaseholders feel that they somehow end up paying over the odds without real recourse. There are ‘rules’ covering how leaseholders are meant to be treated in terms of repairs and rennovations – but how confident can leaseholders be that their best interests are being looked after by Haringey – who as we know are facing a £10million financial black hole of their own making?

I once was shown a print-out of works list at a council block of flats. Many of the ‘jobs’ were done and charged more than once – but the person showing me would not give me the evidence.

So – if anyone has actual evidence that would stand up to an auditor’s investigation in Haringey – please let me know.

Here is my column, published yesterday in the Ham & High, on the government’s decision to ban wheel clamping on private land.

Denver booted out!

When the Denver boot (wheel clamp) was introduced in this country – I remember wondering what the logic was of this new ‘solution’. A car is parked illegally or dangerously – so let’s make sure it stays in its illegal or dangerous position for much longer – by immobilising it!

Ever since then – this poor solution (albeit to a very real problem) – has caused untold misery. The horror stories abound: from the disabled man who was frog marched for twenty minutes to a cash point on a freezing November evening to a disabled man who had his wheelchair actually in the car that was clamped who had no money and so was left, stranded, by the clampers. However – it’s not just the extreme horror stories that matter – it is the every day horror story of a punishment completely out of kilter and disproportionate to the actual crime. Release fees of hundreds of pounds are made for what is, after all, a parking offence.

Parking regulations have to be fair and just if we want people comply and support them. Parking regulations should be used to improve traffic flow and improve safety – not act as revenue raisers. Wheel clamping – which was originally about putting off motorists from parking illegally on the highway has developed into a £1billion per year industry.

Successive governments have tried to deal with rogue clampers. Licensing of individuals working for vehicle immobilisation companies was the first attempt to rein in the industry because so much abusive behaviour was reported by people about the way they were treated by the clampers. The Independent Security Authority currently licenses the individuals working for a clamping company at a cost of £245 per annum.

However, licensing individuals did not stop the abuse and neither did it stop the poor signing, extortionate fees or the non-provision of receipts – because it is the companies that set the level of release fee or the position of the signage – not the individuals.

As soon as I became a Home Office minister with wheel clamping as part of my portfolio, I was deluged by letters from other MPs (representing their constituents) asking when we would do something about rogue clampers.

It seemed that we were continuing to try and make something work that never could or would. There had been little or no enforcement when complaints had been made against rogue clampers – even though they were now licensed. The police, with the best will in the world, did not have this as a priority in crime fighting. To move to licensing the companies as well as the individuals working for them and setting up an independent appeals process for aggrieved motorists would have been the next step. That would have meant more regulations that would not be enforced. As to the cost – an independent appeals process would cost £2million just for set up costs – and people would pay forever after for the running costs out of the fees they were charged.

The other option was to ban wheel clamping on private property altogether. Towing would have to be banned too – otherwise people would just find their vehicle disappeared instead of clamped. Banning had been introduced in Scotland in 1992 and had worked extremely well.

But what to do about the owners of private land? Of course – there has to be something to take the place of wheel clamping – some deterrent to prohibit people from parking on private property. Landowners have an absolute right to protect their land from people parking on it. So – in Scotland private landowners either protected that land by a barrier method or switched to ticketing.

Ticketing is highly regulated and consumer protection legislation already applies. There is already an independent appeals process in place – and it is a good and proportionate deterrent. A couple of people have raised the issue of there being so many unregistered / unlicensed cars – particularly in London, for example, and that these car owners would ignore a ticket. To that I would say to Boris and the Met police – about time this was properly dealt with rather than the go after ever more punitive methods for those who do pay up. It’s always the good guys who act responsibly and pay up – because they are good guys. Let’s go after the bad guys!

The legislation that is needed will be brought in through the Freedom Bill in or around November. If you would like to raise any issues or make any suggestions to inform that legislation – please feel free to write to me at the Home Office, 2 Marsham Street, London SW1P 4DF

It recently came to light that Haringey Council has spent practically the highest amount in the whole country on its website. The Telegraph newspaper released the information showing that Haringey spent over £500,000 on a website redesign in 2003 and together with running costs since – have spent over £2million.

Blimey! for that amount of money you would expect the best looking and easiest to navigate site in the land!

This over the top expenditure demonstrates just why the Council is facing a £10million budget black hole of its own making this year. And yes – it’s not going to get easier with a funding squeeze from central government – so the ability to commission projects of good quality and deliver value for money – is even more crucial.

The other issue of key concern about this (other than they was robbed) is that it is yet another example of the Labour run administration spending more than most other Councils. My LibDem colleague, Robert Gorrie, Leader of the LibDem group on Haringey Council has highlighted the need for the Council to prioritise front-line services over website expenditure.

Robert said:

“Haringey is top of a league table – but for all the wrong reasons. Communication through websites and the opportunity for residents to engage with the Council online is important, but spending £200,000 of taxpayers’ money on a website every year, especially when there is good evidence of better value elsewhere, needs to be challenged.

“At a time of extreme financial pressure money must be prioritised on front-line services which tangibly benefit residents and not wasted on projects with little direct influence on people’s lives.

“The only specific cut identified so far is the web casting of Council meetings. I wonder if that is because there is evidence no-one watches them or because Haringey Labour is embarrassed by what they show of the nature of their administration.”

True say Cllr Gorrie!

For those interested in reaction to the wheel clamping on private land ban that I announced on Monday – here  is the only poll I could find.

Wheel clamping on private land (and towing away) is to be banned by the coalition government. We had a commitment to tackle rogue wheel clampers in the coalition agreement – and now we are able to take this forward.

It falls in my portfolio at the Home Office. Immobilisation has always had a track record of grief and misery. There cannot be an MP in the land who has not had constituents come to them who have been clamped ‘unfairly’. The complaints that have come in to the Home Office are tales of exorbitant fees, abusive behaviour, signage being invisible and so on.

In a recent adjournment debate I recall that examples were given of a disabled motorist being frog marched to a cash point in the middle of a freezing night to get cash to pay the release fee.

Of course, landowners have a right to stop people parking on their land – but no longer by clamping. In Scotland – where clamping was banned nearly twenty years ago (very successfully) landowners either protect their land by barrier methods or introduce ticketing.

Over time, everyone has tried to make this system work – but it just hasn’t. Individuals have had to be licensed – but that hasn’t stopped sharp practise. The latest thinking (before the ban) was to introduce an independent appeals authority – so that aggrieved motorist could appeal the fee etc. But that would cost £2million to set up and thereafter have to be funded by the public through the fees and just perpetuating a flawed system.

Cars that are parked dangerously on private land  – for example – blocking the entrance to a hospital or such like will be towed by the police. However, the police powers are for exceptional circumstances only.

This does need legislation and so it will be brought in as part of the Freedom Bill in November hopefully – and then come into force as soon after the passage of the Bill as possible.

The past definitely comes back to haunt! Reading this from the Liberal Democrat leader, Caroline Pidgeon, on the London Assembly took me back to my Assembly days. Bike hire didn’t start with Boris – but who cares – it’s still a very good move.

Following close on the heels of the suspension of the out of hours walk in clinic at the Hornsey Hospital Community Health Centre comes the news that Camidoc will be replaced by a private provider. Good grief – what are they thinking? Camidoc have provided the service for twelve years.

I await a response to my letter below – but would welcome local peoples’ views on Camidoc. I have always had really good service from them – and have never had a complaint about them from any constituent. What is your experience of Camidoc?

Dear Tracey,

RE: Camidoc out of hours service

I am writing to get clarification on some worrying news that have emerged. I have recently been contacted by local residents and member of the Defend Haringey Health Services Coalition, with the news that Camidoc’s out of hours contract has been terminated from October. I was extremely worried to hear that such a decision has been made, without any consultation, public information or engagement.

My impression is that Camidoc has successfully carried out this contact in the past and is highly valued and regarded by many local residents.

I would be grateful if you could clarify what the situation is with Haringey’s Camidoc contract come October. I would also be keen to find out what steps you are taking to ensure that local people and stakeholders are consulted on any major decisions to out of hours doctors services in Haringey.

Thanks for your time, and for providing clarification on the above.

Lynne Featherstone

Harringay online (award-winning local site) alerted me to rumours about the closure of the out of hours walk in facility at the Hornsey Hospital Community Health Centre. A letter arrived at the same time – so here it is in black and white. I have contacted them urgently on this and Cllr David Winskill (health spokesperson for Liberal Democrat council group) is in process of getting a meeting with them.

This is the same sort of shambles as we saw over the proposals they put forward on the Whittington A&E – ill thought out and without consultation. The PCT this time have summarily removed the service – suspended – pending evaluation because it is too expensive to continue whilst the evaluation is going on.

As this service is delivering on one of the promises made in terms of what would be in the new centre to get local people on board – it is totally unacceptable to remove the service – let alone without consultation.

As to cutting costs – well perhaps a few of the high salaried jobs could go in administration instead of a front line service as a first stop. There’s a novel idea!

Dear Ms. Featherstone

Re: Walk in centre at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre 

I am writing to inform you about NHS Haringey’s plans for the provision of the 8 – 8 GP led health service at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre.

NHS Haringey commissioned the pilot walk in service in April 2010 for people who required medical attention outside of normal GP practice hours; at weekends and also during normal hours but without having to make an appointment. 

It was always our intention to review the service after completion of the pilot phase to see how it complemented the other ways of accessing care, including NHS Direct, our out of hours services and extended GP opening hours. We recognized that we would need to establish whether the walk-in service was the best way of providing urgent unscheduled care and was not duplicating other GP extended hours services or being used as an alternative to General Practice appointments.

The pilot was due to finish on 31^st July 2010; however, we extended it for another month and will now suspend the pilot from 1^st September 2010 .This is to ensure we have sufficient time to put in place effective communication plans.

We recognize that this temporarily removes a service that has been of value to many patients.  Under ordinary circumstances the preferred option would have been to continue the pilot whilst completing our evaluation.  However, due to a rise in the payment required for the GP out of hours service this is no longer an option for the PCT. 

We have put in place a communications plan to inform the public that the service is no longer available, and signposting them to the other ways that people obtain medical advice and treatment.  These are:

NHS Direct:  0845 46 47

Out of hours service:  020-7388 5800

Seeking advice from your local pharmacist

Accident and emergency centres at The Whittington and the North Middlesex

 I would also like to stress that NHS Haringey is committed to ensuring that Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre is a key community asset for the provision of Primary and Community Care services in the area.  Services that are already provided at the centre include: GP Services provided by the QMP for their registered patients during normal opening hours and some extended hours, physiotherapy, foot health; speech and language therapy; midwifery and health visiting; counseling; sexual health clinics; minor surgery;  dermatology outpatient clinics and diabetes outpatient clinics. We are working very closely with the Whittington Hospital to provide new clinical services including gynecology and obstetric outpatients. .

Once the pilot has been evaluated we look forward to updating you on future arrangements at Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre.

Yours sincerely

Tracey Baldwin

Here is my column - published in the Ham & High on Thursday:

It seems only a moment since the election of May 6 ushered in the new government – the Coalition. This ‘new’ political title which was strange only a few weeks ago has now passed into the lexicon of daily political life. The Coalition this and the Coalition that.

The ‘Five Days that Changed Britain’ documentary by Nick Robinson (BBC political supremo) told the story of the negotiations – who said what to whom and when. But once that electrifying and uncertain period was concluded – and the Coalition was born – in one mad dash to the summer recess a new entity has been in play.

Listening to ‘phone ins on the subject – it would seem that the vast majority of people are giving the coalition a chance. It’s the same for me. That journey – from realising that the country had not given any party an absolute majority to recognising that a coalition was the only real way forward – to the agreement with the Conservatives – was undoubtedly a political roller coaster to beat anything I had ever been part of in my time in politics.

And a new entity it is – and giving new headaches to the old, traditional ways of opposing and reporting too. Neither the media nor Labour knows what to do with this new phenomenon. The media is obsessed with tensions and splits – but it is a no brainer that there are differences between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. And Labour’s scream of anger and entitlement is unimaginative and predictable. Given Labour spent their thirteen years of government blaming the Tories for everything wrong in this country – they seem strangely unwilling to acknowledge any contribution to the state we are in.

But old politics always looked backwards and I want to look forwards. One of the most liberating and energising parts of this new Coalition is that the future is far more open than ever before. The possibilities – as we come out of the recession – for growth nationally, as communities and as individuals is tremendous. The old and very tired, restrictive and stultifying era of Labour’s iron grip on everything is over.

There were some very good things that happened under Labour – Sure Start being one and the reduction in waiting lists for hospital treatment another. But there were also very bad things that Labour did – the Iraq war and detention without charge to name but two and closer to home – seriously underfunding Haringey schools and trying to close the Whittington A&E.

But more insidious than the obvious – the encroachment of control from Whitehall was disabling us. The former government issued thousands upon thousands of pages of bureaucratic instructions to teachers for example – inhibiting teachers from doing what they do best – teaching. Endless tick boxes for social workers to the point where filling in forms took the place of use of their critical faculties and their professional capability. We were going around in ever-decreasing circles with less and less freedom and more and more conformity. The loss of local and individual power was tangible. I saw it every week in my advice surgeries.

It’s very, very difficult to get that balance right – the balance between state intervention and freedom – between helping and enfeebling.

As the Coalition agreement forges ahead – yes of course – I have concerns that babies must not be thrown out with bathwater. I am still a Liberal Democrat and we are working with the Conservatives to an agreement. We are not joined at the hip! The pending spending review looms over us. The Big Society is undoubtedly a better idea than the nanny state – but the line between public service provision and what can be added by the Big Society is a critical one. The Coalition, in our haste to free ourselves from inappropriate shackles, must be mindful of this.

What sustains me and us – is the good that we can do. We will get the ‘pupil premium’ – money going into our schools following children from underprivileged backgrounds (e.g. those with special needs or eligible for free school meals) – that will help every school in Haringey. The tax threshold is raised and will go higher every year until no one pays any tax on their first £10,000 on earnings – taking the low paid out of tax altogether. The earnings link to pensions will come into force. The prison system will be renovated to be effective – not vindictive. Id cards are all but gone. The counter terrorism review will address control orders and detention without charge.

One of the best things about the coalition is the fact of politicians from different parties working together. People certainly seem to like that. I like it too.

Today the Girl Guides are calling for warning symbols to be stamped on airbrushed pictures of models and actresses to curb a rise in eating disorders. They are launching an online petition for compulsory labelling to inform people whether an image has been digitally altered / airbrushed. It’s available on the Girlguiding UK website – and they expect 20,000 young women (and hopefully young men too) to sign up. I have sent them a message of support – and was pleased to see LibDem MP Jo Swinson on Sky talking about the importance of transparency and honesty in advertising.

The Girl Guides have done an incredible amount of work over recent years with their annual ‘attitude surveys’ and their most recent survey showed that girls as young as ten are worried about their weight.

Boys and men too, are becoming more and more under pressure  to have perfectly muscled and toned bodies leading to, in some cases, misuse of steroids.

In 2007 I posted this about the start of my relationship with Girlguiding and I am very pleased that they will be part of the first round table discussion on Body Confidence / next steps – in the late autumn.

In a class a couple of years above me at my secondary school was the most beautiful girl imaginable. To those of us less physically blessed teenagers – she embodied all that we wished for. She became a model at about sixteen gracing the covers of the top fashion magazines. One day at assembly, the Headmistress said she had some sad news to give us. This girl, this beautiful being, had been found dead in a suicide pact with her boyfriend in New York.

Of course, I don’t know the story behind what happened – but it was a salutary lesson about how there is so much more to life and happiness than physical appearance.

We all have a hard time growing up. Some of it really painful. Much of it to do with will I be liked? Will boys ask me out? And even if they do -that never really assuages the self doubt. And even if it does – just wait until you next see the TV, read a newspaper or pick up a magazine. Look younger now, Be slimmer tomorrow. The pressure to be self-conscious and anxious about your image is nearly relentless – and that much harder to deal with the younger you are.

At the recent Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, I was invited to speak at a fringe meeting where the report ‘Under 10 and Under Pressure’ was launched. The Girl Guides along with Beat (the UK’s leading eating disorder charity) had commissioned research into girls between 7 and 10. It seems incredibly young – but there is an increase in eating disorders amongst this age group – and that’s only one aspect of the pressures so many young children seem to be under from our modern society and media And what kind of identity does Western society offer to women and girls? Why does this lead to such dramatic problems of self-esteem, such as depression and eating disorders?

Well – if you ask a woman what she likes least about herself, she will rarely say “I hate my personality”; instead she will say “I hate my teeth”, or thighs, or some other physical attribute. I am as guilty as the rest.

Of course, the younger a person is, the less capacity they have to counter negative influences, due to their lack of experience and intellectual maturity. Children will be influenced by myths of perfection much more easily than adults. And it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to resist, given that ever-younger demographics are being targeted by advertisers, acting on behalf of business wishing to sell products to a new market.

Now, it’s very easy to blame the media as regards promoting these superficial values, where physical perfection is prized over internal integrity. And certainly, the media IS the primary arbiter of our culture; its influence is ubiquitous and provides the benchmark by which we judge ourselves. However, laying the blame solely at their door is not desperately constructive.

The lifestyle of the pre-teens has been the focus of a relatively recent campaign of commercialization, including adult-style clothing and makeup at the same time as they have unprecedented access to the media via the internet.

So the pressure to become mini-clones and mini-consumers is immense – and the effect on some girls has clearly been the same as on their teenage counterparts.

The answer is to seek balance – to value forms of status other than simply appearance. So, friends, activities, sport, study – and just being a nice person – kindness, humour, gentleness – need to become valued virtues.

Part of the solution lies with the media – and what a fantastic service it is that the BBC provides with its CBeebies channel, allowing children to enjoy the best of what TV can bring – the fun, the entertainment, the education – without being subjected to a commercial barrage of advertisements. That is public broadcasting at its very best.

But the clear message from the research was how important peer relationships are to young girls’ self-esteem.

This is why girl-guiding, or groups such the Girl Guides are so important, as they offer the perfect environment for girls to develop in a safe and secure environment – helping them to improve and develop positive self-esteem and to see values both in life and in their compatriots that go beyond appearance.